Coaster

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a Coaster holding or supporting a glass containing a drink for the purpose of preventing the marring of furniture by a dripping sweat formed on the outer surface of the glass and it comprises a non-frangible dished tray of non-porous material in which is placed an insert or pad comprising a base having a knap of highly porous material on one side thereof which will readily absorb the condensation or sweat running down the outside of a glass resting upon the knap of the insert as well as absorbing slight spillages. The insert has a coating of pliable substantially non-porous, non-moisture absorbing material on its under surface which engages the interior of the base of the dished body. This coating prevents slippage of the insert upon movement of the glass. The entire insert is readily removable from the non-frangible body and may be at desired intervals placed in an automatic clothes washer or otherwise washed to completely clease it, and it may be dried in an ordinary clothes dryer or any other suitable manner and thus should prevent mold and musty odors from the insert with its continuous use.

United States Patent 1191 Lansdowne [4 1 Mar. 19, 1974 COASTER [76] Inventor: Homer D. Lansdowne, 1250 No.

Portofino Drive, Apt. 401, Sarasota, Fla. 33581 ['22] Filed: Sept. 11, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 287,676

[52] US. Cl. 248/3461 [51] Int. Cl A47g 29/00 [58] Field of Search 248/3461; 220/2383, 23.86

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,971,337 8/1934 Collins 248/3461 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 32.653 8/1885 Germany 248/3461 542.788 1/1942 Great Britain 248/346] Primary Examiner-William H. Schultz [57] ABSTRACT This invention relates to a Coaster holding or supporting a glass containing a drink for the purpose of preventing the marring of furniture by a dripping sweat formed on the outer surface of the glass and it comprises a non-frangible dished tray of non-porous material in which is placed an insert or pad comprising a base having a knap of highly porous material on one side thereof which will readily absorb the condensation or sweat running down the outside of a glass resting upon the knap of the insert as well as absorbing slight spillages. The insert has a coating of pliable substantially non-porous, non-moisture absorbing material on its under surface which engages the interior of the base of the dished body. This coating prevents slippage of the insert upon movement of the glass. The entire insert is readily removable from the nonfrangible body and may be at desired intervals placed in an automatic clothes washer or otherwise washed to completely clease it, and it may be dried in an ordinary clothes dryer or any other suitable manner and thus should prevent mold and musty odors from the insert with its continuous use.

1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures COASTER This invention relates to coasters which are used for supporting glasses containing a drink, preferably cold drinks, and it is well known that such glasses, while standing, sweat or in other words, moisture collects on their outer surfaces and running down on such surfaces would mar the surface of the furniture or other object on which the glass is resting, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an attractive appearing coaster in which the base of a glass is placed and which coaster includes a removable insert which will not only support the glass and protect the object on which the glass is sitting, but will absorb the moisture running down the outer surface of the glass or any slight spillages from the glass.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a removable insert for coasters as above referred to, which may at any desired time, beremoved from the coaster and placed in a washing machine with other clothes and thoroughly washed and then dried in the usual type of clothes dryer or in any other suitable man ner. It is also apparent that the insert may be thoroughly washed in any other suitable manner than in the well-known type of clothes washer.

Another object of the invention is to provide an in sert for the dished body of a coaster which has a knap of highly absorbent material supported from a suitable supporting base and this base may be coated or have a layer of soft substantially non-slipping and semi-nonporous material on its under surface to prevent slippage of the insert in the coaster body. The knap ofthe insert being of highly porous material will absorb the moisture running down the outer surface of a glass resting thereon and remove any tendency of the glass to cling to the coaster and thus prevent the coaster from being lifted off the surface on which it is resting when the glass is removed from the coaster, as is so often the case when coasters of the type now generally in use, and which clinging action of the glass and coaster formed by the condensate or sweat running from the glass into the coaster will result in the lifting of the coaster with the lifting of the glass and the subsequent breaking of the coaster, spilling of the condensate therein when the bond between the coaster and glass breaks during the lifting action of the glass.

There are coasters on the market with flat thin inserts, such as cork disks, and while these have a tendency to break the bond between the glass and the coaster body caused by a condensate running into the coaster they soon become saturated with a condensate thus destroying their initial put pose and also they are not washable and reusable and do not form a soft complete moisture-absorbing surface on which the glass rests, Paper or cloth inserts are likewise sometimes used and they have the same disadvantages as the cork inserts. They are not washable, are not staple, have a tendency to stick to the bottom of the glass and are in fact more undesirable than if no insert at all were used.

The present invention comprehends a non-frangible dished body which may be formed in any desirable shape or color such as round, or for instance, in the shapes of hearts, spades, clubs or diamonds wen being used by those playing cards, or in fact any desirable configuration to add attractiveness to their appearance and the insert may have its knap of a color corresponding to the color of the coaster body or of another color which pleasingly blends with the color of the body of the coaster.

With these and other objects in view, as may appear from the accompanying specification, the invention consists of various features of construction and combination of parts, which will be first described in connection with the accompanying drawings, showing a Coaster of a preferred form embodying the invention and the features forming the invention will be specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the coaster.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the coaster, arid FIG. 3 is a cross-section through the coaster taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings wherein the body 1 of the coaster is illustrated as round in plan view. This body 1 is made of any suitable non-frangible material preferably of plastic, such as polystyrene, but it may be made of any suitable material such as other suitable types of plastic, metal, glass, ceramics or a combination of metal with any of the other materials without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Also while the body 1 of the coaster is shown in the drawings as round, it may be made in any other desired shapes, such as like the body of a flower in the shape of the pips of a deck of playing cards, that is, in the shapes of hearts, spades, diamond and clubs without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The body 1 is dished, having a flat bottom 2 and an upstanding annular side 3. The side 3 is higher than the usual height of the sides of coasters now in use so as to provide a greater depth to the interior of the body of the coaster, the purpose for which will presently appear.

In the drawings the upper edge of the side 3 of the coaster is shown as provided with an outwardly extending flange 4 which not only strengthens the upper edge of the side but provides a purchase for the thumb and fingers of a user to readily grip the coaster.

An insert 4 cut in the shape of the coaster is inserted in the coaster and rests on the bottom 1. This insert consists of a fabric base 5 from the upper surface of which projects a multitutde of threads forming knap 6 on the upper surface of the insert and on which knap the glass rests. This knap 6 is made of highly absorbent material which will absorb the condensation or sweat running down the outer surface of the glass, will prevent such condensation from forming a bond between the glass and the coaster body as well as absorbing the moisture. Any suitable type of readily washable highly absorbent type of fabric may be used in forming the knap 6.

The fabric base 5 of the insert has attached to its under surface a coating of plyable moisture absorbing resistance material, such as synthetic rubber which engages the upper surface of the bottom 2 of the coaster body and prevents slippage of the insert in the body as well as forming means for retaining the greater portion of the condensate or sweat in the knap or pile 6.

The entire insert is made of such material that it may be lifted out of the body of the coaster and thrown into a washing machine with other things, such as clothing. towels, etc. and then placed in a dryer used for drying clothes, or it may be otherwise thoroughly washed and dried in any suitable way without destroying any part of its construction, thus keeping it always fresh and clean for use and eliminating any mold or musty odors which would be occasioned by continuous use of the insert. The side 3 of the coaster body 1 is, as previously stated, higher than is normally found in coasters so that the insert may be inserted therein and still leave a sufficient height of the sides to prevent a glass from moving laterally off the coaster.

The knap surface is composed preferably of individual upstanding units so spaced as to provide minute air spaces between them thus eliminating any chance of a glass sticking or adhering to the insert in the event the insert becomes saturated with liquid.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a new, attractive, novel type of coaster has been provided, which is practical in all sense for the use of a coaster, which coaster includes an insert which will form a soft, yet firm support for the glass and will absorb all of condensate or sweat running down the sides of the glass into the coaster, will prevent forming a bond between the glass and coaster and which may be easily removed and thoroughly washed for cleaning it, as well as a coaster which may be stacked firmly in any numbers for storage.

What is claimed is:

1. A coaster for supporting a glass containing a drink, having an annular upstanding side, an insert removably placed in said coaster and composed of a single piece of material shaped to conform to the interior shape of the coaster and snugly fit therein covering substantially the entire bottom of the coaster, said insert being of one continuous piece free from cuts or openings therein, said insert comprising a woven base and a liquid absorbent knap on its upper surface of soft yielding material to firmly support a glass thereon and to absorb any condensate or spillage running down the outside of the glass, said insert being made of material of such nature that it may be washed in an ordinary washing machine without shrinkage or disfiguration, thereby permitting it to be reused after washing, the edges of the annular upstanding side projecting above the uppermost tips of the knap and wherein the tips of the knap are individual units to provide minute air spaces between theindividual units of the knap, a layer of liquid non-absorbing material being attached to the surface of the woven section of the insert to prevent rotary slippage of the insert within the coaster when the glass is handled by a person. 

1. A coaster for supporting a glass containing a drink, having an annular upstanding side, an insert removably placed in said coaster and composed of a single piece of material shaped to conform to the interior shape of the coaster and snugly fit therein covering substantially the entire bottom of the coaster, said insert being of one continuous piece free from cuts or openings therein, said insert comprising a woven base and a liquid absorbent knap on its upper surface of soft yielding material to firmly support a glass thereon and to absorb any condensate or spillage running down the outside of the glass, said insert being made of material of such nature that it may be washed in an ordinary washing machine without shrinkage or disfiguration, thereby permitting it to be reused after washing, the edges of the annular upstanding side projecting above the uppermost tips of the knap and wherein the tips of the knap are individual units to provide minute air spaces between the individual units of the knap, a layer of liquid non-absorbing material being attached to the surface of the woven section of the insert to prevent rotary slippage of the insert within the coaster when the glass is handled by a person. 